Chapter 549: So That's Why My Luck Was So Good
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 549: So That's Why My Luck Was So Good
“Woof! Let’s chase him again!”
“Baaaaa-! I hope I never see you again-yang!”
Lemme fled to the very top of the monastery and wailed. Regardless, Azzy, satisfied with a toy she hadn’t played with in a long time, stretched out with a refreshed air.
“Farewell!”
“May the blessing of the Sky God be upon you, brothers!”
Sent off by the fallen nun and the happy children, we left the Bloody Monastery, taking with us only the blessings of the Saintess and the nun.
As we walked down the slope leading from the monastery, I started to speak to Rasch.
“Mr. Rasch, if you could lead the way…”
I was about to ask him to do just that when the sight before me made me shut my mouth.
A wind was blowing in the direction we were headed, as if gently pushing our backs. Soft yet firm, the breeze stirred the wild grass, pointing us in the direction we needed to go.
The swaying blades of grass looked as if they were drawing an arrow. It was as if the entire world was speaking with one voice, telling us this was the way.
“This way!”
Rasch, who had been about to guide us, felt the wind and muttered.
“A tailwind. A good omen. It seems asking for your help was the right thing to do, Teacher!”
“Why are you only talking to Hughes? I’m here too.”
“Haha! My apologies for leaving you out. Yes, boy! You’re here too!”
No one had any regrets about riding this current. After all, what did it matter if a prophet was unsettling? He was here to help with the task at hand.
We moved as the wind led. As long as his feet touched the ground, Rasch possessed tireless stamina. The Regressor and I, riding the clouds, flew at an even greater speed on the tailwind. Azzy, meanwhile, showed off her leisure, running far ahead before slowly trotting back.
As the landscape and the mountains changed, we began to see native villages. We had passed through the wildlands and entered the land of savagery, where beasts and humans coexisted.
The natives who saw us flying through the sky either screamed and fled or gave chase, trying to hunt us. Of course, most of these attempts failed to even touch our shadows as we zipped past, but they did add a bit of tension to our journey.
“From here on is the land of the old Manguo. Teacher, do you know of Manguo?”
“I do. As much as anyone else.”
Manguo. A nation of savagery built in a land teeming with life.
The Five Sovereigns, who had ousted the King of Humans and seized power, spread across the continent to establish their own kingdoms.
Among them, the beloved Agartha traveled to this distant southeastern land and united the savage tribes, who could never have otherwise been brought together, to found a nation.
“Muhu Agartha. A descendant of the sovereign who possessed the ability to be loved by all. She captivated other tribes with her beauty and charm, creating a confederation of countless tribes and reigning over them. Until the day the World Tree burned and fell.”
“You are quite knowledgeable. Just as I’d expect from you, Teacher.”
As I recited the contents of the history books, Rasch nodded as if he had expected as much.
“But there is a slight difference. That’s what is known in the Military State, but in truth, Muhu’s power was not that. Muhu’s true power was…”
“I know. Language. Or to be more precise, the power of expression.”
Every beast has its own characteristics, and those traits are reflected in their respective Beast Kings. Azzy the dog is friendly and favorable toward humans, while Lemme the sheep has a thick coat of wool.
The same was true for the King of Humans… but. The Five Sovereigns used some means to steal the power of the King of Humans.
The one who took human strength was the Overlord. He was strong enough to uproot mountains and throw them with his bare hands, could wield any weapon with perfect freedom, and could fight for seven days and nights without rest.
The one who took human technology was King Elric of the Golden Empire. She could perfectly replicate any tool she saw once, master any skill, and understand its principles to create masterpieces.
The one who took human sociability was Grandiomor of the Kingdom. No human could be hostile to him, and he had the ability to win over and handle even the most powerful and cunning people.
These are certainly all human traits, but they are not unique to humans. In terms of pure physical strength, bears and tigers are stronger, and birds and beavers also build nests. As for forming groups, you can see that just by looking around.
The same went for Agartha. What Agartha took was language. To be precise, expression.
Even in the past, before language existed, when humans used their tongues only for tasting, there were ways to express emotions. Gestures, voice, shouts, facial expressions, movements, and so on. There were endless ways to issue warnings to enemies and show favor to allies.
And Agartha was perfect in all of it.
“A beautiful face. Gestures that reveal emotion. A gentle voice that charms humans and beasts alike. Even in this land of savagery, where they speak a different language from the civilized world and believe in over a hundred thousand gods, Agartha made them all submit with that power alone.”
“Hmm. Teacher, you are far more knowledgeable than I thought. Even I, a native of this land, could not explain it more eloquently!”
“Speaking well is my specialty.”
The nation that Agartha united and led was Manguo. Though not well-known for always being on the periphery of civilization, Manguo had always reigned as a powerful and threatening nation.
In particular, Manguo was a subject of subtle vigilance, as it distanced itself from the Sky God despite being led by a descendant of a sovereign and embraced indigenous beliefs.
“There aren’t many records and there was little exchange, so it’s somewhat underrated, but in the past, Manguo was said to have a civilization as powerful and brilliant as the Empire. You can tell from the remaining ruins, treasures, and elixirs of Manguo. Even now, hundreds of years later, adventurers still come in search of hidden treasures.”
“But now it’s merely the legacy of a fallen nation! If you know that much, I suppose there’s no need for me to warn you!”
“In any case, I understand why you’re telling me to be careful.”
Manguo cannot be dismissed as a land of savagery. On the contrary, it is more fearsome for being more primal and free than civilization.
Hardship would always come in unexpected ways…
Or so it should have been.
But even in this land of savagery that baffled even the most renowned adventurers, our journey was exceedingly smooth.
“It’s getting dark. We should find a place to… what’s that?”
“An adventurer’s camp. They’re camps set up here and there by adventurers searching for elixirs, places to rest for a while after checking the weather and terrain. They’re usually well-hidden to avoid being plundered by others. We’re lucky.”
Whenever a problem seemed about to arise, a suitable solution would appear right next to us. When we needed a place to sleep, a camp or a shelter appeared. When we were hungry, a beast that looked perfect for hunting would pass right before our eyes. The path was smooth and covered in grass, with none of the usual mud or pits in sight.
I couldn’t tell if I was traversing a wild land or strolling down a well-maintained national road in the Military State. Inside the camp we had stumbled upon, eating the food that happened to be left over, warmed by the firewood that also happened to be there, I tilted my head.
“A journey doesn’t have to be arduous, but this is a bit boring. Was this place always so empty?”
“Not at all. Even when I was on my way to the monastery, I was attacked more than five times. Three times by beasts, and twice by outlaws. Well, from their perspective, I was the attacker, I suppose!”
Even Rasch, who had initially been pleased by the lack of incidents, began to feel a sense of strangeness in the unnaturally peaceful environment. In contrast, the Regressor accepted this environment as a matter of course.
“It’s because the Saintess of the Sky is blessing our entire journey.”
“What’s the exact principle behind it?”
“Principle? Blessings don’t have principles. It just happens. From what I’ve heard, it forces a future that converges toward the goal, but it’s supposedly difficult for us who can’t see the future to understand.”
“My head hurts just hearing about it.”
“Well, it basically means only good things will happen to us. Unless it’s something that was never going to happen in the first place.”
Whether it deletes other futures, or subtly adjusts them, or reads our path in advance and prepares for it… I couldn’t possibly guess. It might not even match any of my imaginings.
“If everything goes well, then mosquitoes won’t show up at night either. I’ll be able to stretch my legs and sleep soundly.”
“Huh? I’ve been blocking them with a barrier from Chun-aeng this whole time.”
“Ah, really? I was wondering why I was sleeping so well.”
Even if the Saintess’s blessing seems amazing, if it’s all things he can do with his own abilities, it’s not that big of a deal, is it? Then what’s the point of the blessing?
“Let’s just sleep for today. We have the blessing, so there shouldn’t be any threats, but I’ll put up a barrier just in case.”
“Teacher and the boy should rest. I will go out and stand watch.”
“You will?”
“You two are mortals, are you not? You need to sleep at night. But as long as my feet are on the ground, I neither die nor need to sleep. Since you are helping me, Teacher, I should at least provide this convenience.”
“Really? Well then.”
If I don’t have to put up a barrier, I can sleep soundly without my senses being divided.
After seeing Rasch off, the Regressor and I divided the sleeping spots. I first made a place for Azzy near the entrance, then chose a bunk on the two-tiered hammock bed.
“I’ll sleep on top. I don’t like feeling cramped.”
“Perfect. I wanted to sleep on the bottom anyway. It’s easier to escape from down here.”
We silently found our preferred spots. Surprisingly, people with opposite tendencies don’t have much friction. They don’t covet the same things.
“Let’s get a good night’s sleep, have breakfast, and set off in the morning.”
“Hoo. Right. We need to rest like this once every few days. Sleep well.”
“Shei-ssi, before that, I have something to ask…”
“…”
Only the sound of soft breathing could be heard. Was he already asleep? Hmm, his thoughts have cut off, so he really is. I was hoping to get some information with a bit of small talk before bed.
He seems to be sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world, but he would react immediately if anything approached. He only falls asleep because I’m close, someone he’s at least gotten friendly with.
The more I think about it, the more I question this blessing of the Saintess. It definitely seems to exist, but at the same time, it feels like it doesn’t.
If you believe there are no obstacles in your path, does that mean you can do anything, or can you do nothing? Does the blessing help those who help themselves, or does it force destiny?
Tsk. It would be nice if I could read the Saintess’s mind, but that won’t be easy. It might even be blocked by some means, like the Regressor’s. Reading Feruel’s thoughts was also somewhat unsatisfying.
Tossing and turning, I finally settled my body deep into the hammock. After obtaining the Divine, this body didn’t tire easily even after walking for days, but the mental and inertial fatigue remained, my body pleading for rest.
I’ll just sleep for now. I just need to maintain a decent relationship with the Regressor. Whether it’s the Saintess or the Divine, she’s the closest to them, so I’ll stick to her like a parasite and find some clues.
…Well, it’s all meaningless if she regresses, but what can I do? It’s better to ignore things you can’t fight against. Gazing at the hammock where the Regressor lay, I soon closed my eyes to the encroaching drowsiness.
Feeling a pressure as if a tangible darkness was crushing me.
I don’t usually dream, but tonight my sleep was restless. It felt as if an unwelcome guest had come, grabbed me by the collar, and was looking down at me. I thought, what kind of ridiculous nightmare is this?, but strangely, my mind was clear. As if it wasn’t a dream.
It wasn’t a delusion. I realized that something with a physical form was pressing down on me. I hurriedly activated my mind-reading ability.
A human? No. I can’t read any thoughts. A beast? Unlikely. I could understand Rasch not noticing, but there’s no way Azzy wouldn’t bark. Then what is it? What’s pinning me down? Why isn’t Azzy barking, and what is the Regressor doing, still off in dreamland?
This was no time for that. Whether this was a beast, a human, or some bizarre phenomenon, I had to escape from this thing that had infiltrated my hammock without a sound. Fortunately, the pressure wasn’t that intense. I could move if I resisted.
Alright, I’ll assess the situation and escape in one go before it can react. I continued to feign sleep, breathing evenly, and cautiously opened my eyes a slit. Through the tiny gap created by moving my eyelids with Qi, I glanced at the thing that had fallen upon me…
“…Zzz.”
And when I discovered the Regressor, lying on top of me, sleeping soundly, I felt a sense of bewilderment and horror even greater than before.